Obama, Ubiquitous in Chief

Once upon a time, there was a given. Now, a given is something we all know is so -- or at least something we all think we know is so.

A given, says the dictionary, is "something taken for granted." It's "a basic condition or assumption."

But what happens when a given turns out not to be a given after all?

"The President of the United States must not be overexposed."

That's a classic given. You walk up to anyone in Washington who makes a living in politics, and every one of them will tell you exactly the same thing:

"The President of the United States must not be overexposed."

There's a certain mystique about the presidency, they'll tell you. Put the president in the public eye too often, they'll tell you, and you'll diminish the mystique. To be effective, a president must husband his resources. He needs to dole out his spotlight time sparingly.

Tell it to Obama.

"Live, NOW," the computer screen announces. "Obama Discusses Transportation Infrastructure/High-Speed Rail."

"Live, NOW," the computer screen announces. "Obama Pledges Tax Reform Efforts."

"Live, NOW: Obama Explains Latest Moves on Economy."

Every day it's something else. But every day it's something.

So much for worrying about overexposure.

The current occupant of the Oval Office, it seems, doesn't much like staying in the Oval Office. He chafes at the presidential bubble, he keeps saying. But there's more to it than that.

He's the best thing he's got.

Team Obama has apparently figured out, the givens notwithstanding, that what worked to get him elected president -- plenty of events equals plenty of exposure equals plenty of comfort equals plenty of votes -- can also work to make him successful as president.

There have been "perpetual campaigns" before, but those always involved top aides huddled in some back room poring over poll numbers and trying to gin up support out in the country.

What's different this time is that they've added one more full-time tool to the tool kit -- the incumbent himself.

Barack Obama is the Obama administration's single best spokesman. Its Explainer in Chief. Its Reassurer in Chief. (You don't see Timothy Geithner out in public much anymore, do you?)

They tried it the other way. They tried listening to the givens.

Obama did spend a week or so out of the spotlight early on, early in the budget process, and what happened? The opponents grabbed control of the airwaves. Suddenly there was all this talk about silly-sounding spending. ("Monitoring Alaskan volcanoes? What a waste!") Suddenly the president's people were back on their heels.

They learn quickly, that bunch. That was the last time the president was backstage for any extended period. Instead, he's been in front of the cameras almost constantly.

There's a danger in it. A given becomes a given for a reason. The president could actually wear out his welcome, especially if his reassuring words start looking ill-matched to continuing waves of bad economic news. And of course, there are the people who can't stand the sight of him, and couldn't from Day One. They won't be any happier seeing him on their TV screens day after day.

But here's the thing about that: Those people won't like him any more by seeing him any less. They're the Unreachables. But when he is on the air, dominating news cycle after news cycle, they aren't. So expect him to keep at it, the givens be damned.

He's got his summits, his speeches, his dog, his Navy Seals.

They've got teabags.

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Rick Horowitz is a syndicated columnist. You can write to him at [e-mail].

Comments

[kingfishstew]

90% of Americans aren't news / politics junkies like most of us who frequent political blogs. Besides, the president isn't some Hollywood starlet.

He has his style, like every president does. Some people will like it, others won't. But frankly, that's something which is more likely to be constant, then effected by something like over-exposure. (You either like the fact that he's very engaged or don't, or don't care. I can't imagine many people suddenly going from liking his style, to not liking it. Not liking it to liking it, or going from never having cared to suddenly carring either way.)

[writerjohnny]

There is a simple equation that has NOTHING to do with the perception of the punditry or the masses. Less face time = more thinking time and more elbow grease time. Since you are begging for the question here it is; Which do we want and need more of right now?

[rmajh5]

I must say that I feel good when I watch President Obama reaching out to the rest of the world in an attempt to create relationships with fellow nations where we are part of and not in charge of attempts to make our world a better place.

Yes, it would be nice if we could wave a magic wand and 8 year old girls would not be forced to become wives of 47 year old men in Saudi Arabia. Like wise, I would favor the end of putting journalists in prisons in places like Cuba and North Korea because of what a journalist might have written in a magazine or newspaper. But the bottom line is it must be those nations themselves which must finally make their way to a better place and our attempts to force changes as opposed to supporting changes where possible more often undermines the efforts of the people in those nations who want decent change to actually accomplish said change.

I believe President Obama understands all of this and will be far better for us and for others than many who have come before him.

[dsws]

Didn't fireside chats go against the same platitude?

[SethBLiNK]

Good points. The President has already disproven so many givens that we need to question them before stating them now.

The fact is, the nature of technology can make anybody ubiquitous. He is seen everywhere because people choose to watch him.

The difference between the aministration and their opponents is that the GOP is trying to manufacture their Obama. And people like Palin, Jindal and Steele keep falling short and looking small. Right now, we have no adequate surrogate, so it seems they always need to call on the Big Guy whenever there is an important message to deliver. Nobody really wants to hear it from Pelosi, or Reid, or Geithner or Biden. I'm surprised that even Hillary has a relatively low profile now. So far Gibbs seems to be the only one who is capable of making his face time interesting, but of course that's his job.

But someone will emerge at some point and when that happens, you'll see more of that person and less of the Prez. And the transition will be seamless as is everything with this administration.

[Jalenth]

As you wrote, earlier President Obama stayed out of the spot light, but his opponents were all over the TV criticizing him. Where are the other Democrats to get TV face time? Cantor and Boehner and McConnell were getting a lot of TV time to criticize Obama's plans to help the economy.

It appears that no one was out there to counter balance or get equal time to defend his policies. Given the media desire for controversy, he had to get out himself and take his message directly to the people. He'll keep at it until he can quite his critics.

[TRYKER]

Great post Rick.
For sure, Obama didn't really have any precedents when he went to the WH. He was a first in a lot of ways. It appears that he is his own best advertisement and really, it is delightful when he begins as a President, segues into the professor and tops it off with a friendly statement or two and some reassurances.
Those who don't/didn't like him can't help but being slightly informed by him and each time they see him they are less afraid. When their lives begin to improve through some of his programs, the sentiment will change toward him as well. The first time they get their Dr. bill paid, they'll start to get it.
His problems will constantly change, so he will have something new to speak about forever, he won't grow stale. We will want our "fix" with one of those smiles to top it off.
Another old saying that is due to leave us: Americans have a short attention span. We DO NOT need soundbites, we need information. Obama isn't sound-biting us and we love it.

[GYRainforest]

I agree with you Rick. The President seems to be everywhere; he is over exposed, and has been reduced to a regular guy, an everyday friend ,in the eyes of the American public.

I wish he would disappear from the cameras until he visits Russia; and then upon his return remain invisible until Christmas or the next State of the Union address.

[ToniaB]

Speak for yourself! The people that voted for him don't mind seeing him and listening to him every day! I say keep it up Mr.Preside­nt; we love hearing from you!!!

[Konnie]

READ MATT MILLER'S TYRANNY OF DEAD IDEAS.....­..........­..........­this one falls right along those lines.
we need to get over what we think we know. its obvious the President and Co has.......­.........

[PATina]

hahahahaha­hahaha... yeah. You are right. He is his best spokesperson.

[BUZZARDSTKE]

SO SO TRUE!! RIGHT ON!!

But u know wht? it will wrk!!! if u doubt it, look to see who is President!!